14-Year-Old Narberth Student Recognized for Compelling Podcast in New York Times Competition

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Zoe Goodbinder, a Narberth 14-year-old, has won NYT recognition for her podcast.

Zoe Goodbinder, Narberth, has been recognized by The New York Times for her podcast.

Goodbinder, 14, attends Welsh Valley Middle School.

Her entry, “School Safety,” received a runners-up nod in the Times’ 2022 student podcast competition. Her commentary caught the judge’s attention among 1,600 entries.

Goodbinder’s took on the topic of classroom fear, now especially high, considering a string of national tragedies.

“Scared,” her entry began. “Being scared is something we have all felt at one point or another in life. Often, even. School is not somewhere we should be feeling this emotion.”

She included on-air interviews with student peers, asking if they felt safe at school. Of the six respondents, five said “No.” And even the outlier response — “Sometimes” — was indicative of the general unrest.

Goodman called for action, saying, “We should move to change this, to figure out a solution. This isn’t right, and everyone knows it. School shootings should not even be in somebody’s vocabulary.”

She found some solace in judiciary actions that have been holding weapons manufacturers liable for these incidents.

“Sadly,” she concludes, “[punitive rulings] did take 10 years. But this means there’s hope. A chance.

“But … [w]e need more than just hope. We need real change in this country, in the world, for that matter.

“There should not be a single ‘No’ in the answer to the question, ‘Do you feel safe to go to school?’”

More on Zoe Goodbinder — including a link to her entry — is at The New York Times.

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